Update: Smashed van veers into Great Ponton gardens and nearly crashes into homes

Published: 12:43, 18 September 2015

The van narrowly missed crashing into houses.

A van has narrowly avoided hitting houses in Great Ponton after veering off the A1 following a collision and ending up in residents’ gardens.

These photos have been sent into the Journal and show the extensive damage to the van.

The smashed vehicle.

Lincolnshire Police say that the incident happened at about 10.50am. The Journal understands from residents that it happened after a collision between a lorry and the van. Drivers of both of the vehicles have been taken to hospital.

The van veered into the garden of Gordon Taylor, 71, who has lived there for over 30 years. Mr Taylor and his wife had actually gone away to Skegness and were shocked when they returned home at lunchtime today to find the smashed vehicle in their garden.

“The driver had concussion and a cut on his head and arm. He has been taken to Queen’s Medical Centre. I think the lorry driver has been taken to Lincoln.”

Mr Taylor’s neighbour of 33 years, David Baxter, had been at the other side of the house when he heard a ‘massive bang’, only to look out and see the van which had careered through his hedges. “I was in total shock,” he said. “It’s only happened once before when we had a car come through about 15 to 20 years ago.”

The damge to the van.

Mr Taylor highlighted how they had been calling for work to be done on the A1 to prevent this kind of crash happening.

“I’m on the parish council and we keep saying that there needs to be fencing along here, as there is nothing to stop them coming through the hedges. They were also supposed to be getting rid of the crossing in the centre,” he added. “If they don’t do something, someone is going to get killed. It shouldn’t take that before they do something.”